The expression on his face relaxed slightly.

"Jingfeng, no matter what your brother has done to wrong you, it is our internal family affair; afterward, I will compensate you and give you a satisfactory explanation.

But that's no reason for you to help outsiders.

Now, go immediately and get your shares back!"

"Dad!"

"Enough! Have you not shamed us enough? Now, immediately, go and get the shares back for me, or else, henceforth, you will no longer be part of the Xu family!"

"I..."

Xu Jingfeng looked unwilling to say more, yet under Xu Bonian's authoritative gaze, he dared not speak further...

After all, he was just a spoiled young master inexperienced in life's storms, impulsive at best, reckless at worst.

The first effort brings success, the second sees decline, and in the third effort, all is exhausted.

Under the weight of Xu Bonian's accumulated years of prestige, he could not hold out long and quickly deflated like a punctured balloon... weak...

After hesitating for a moment, he finally, with a face full of reluctance, walked toward the share certificate...

This scene left Xu Bolin and his son extremely anxious.

Turn after turn!

Who would have thought that Xu Bonian could remain so composed? Despite Xu Jingsong's huge mistake, he was still able to suppress his anger, forcibly set aside family conflicts, and prepare to first deal with the formidable enemy, Gao Yuan.

Xu Jingsong seemed to see hope and couldn't help but gaze mockingly at Gao Yuan.

Oh, Gao Yuan, Gao Yuan, despite all your schemes, you didn't expect this, did you?

The old man has been in business for a long time; how could you possibly manipulate him with a few simple moves?

Recruiting Xu Jingfeng, an ineffectual ally, was bound to be a fatal blunder in your perfectly laid plan!

Yet, just when everyone thought this twisting and turning struggle for shares was finally coming to an end...

"Clap clap clap!"

Gao Yuan still wore that faint, calm smile, as if unaware she was about to make a wrong move and lose everything, as she began to applaud.

"Hehe! Mr. Xu indeed has the magnanimity to contain ships within his stomach; such capacity makes him incomparable to his narrow-minded son."

Xu Jingsong's face twitched.

The narrow-minded son Gao Yuan referred to, of course, was none other than himself.

To be ridiculed so, yet having no way to refute due to his own actions, made him endure even more strange glances from those around.

Xu Bonian paid no heed to Gao Yuan's derisive remarks; he merely frowned at her smile.

This unaffected appearance of hers...

Could it be this woman still has a backup plan at this late stage?

But what she said next made both Xu Bonian and Xu Jingsong's faces change drastically!

"Just wondering, if Mr. Xu knew that his firstborn's untimely death was also thanks to this precious son of his, would he still be as composed as he is now?"

Earth-shattering!

With just one sentence, the sheer volume of hidden information made everyone present feel a chill of terror!

Key phrase... "The untimely death of the firstborn"!

Indeed, Xu Bonian fathered three sons in total, with Xu Jingsong being the second and Xu Jingfeng the third.

The eldest, Xu Jinsan, died young.

The three names derive from the poem "The pines stand tall on the mountain, the breeze echoes in the valley," symbolizing the Zen meaning of "the empty melody of pine and mountain."

In terms of talent, this eldest of the Xu family was in no way inferior to Xu Jingsong, and even surpassed him at times during childhood.

He had been highly regarded and carefully nurtured by Xu Bonian, but unexpectedly, an accident caused him to fall down the stairs...

His early death and the grief of seeing a white-haired man send off a black-haired son naturally left Xu Bonian heartbroken.

Fortunately, his second son, Xu Jingsong, was smart and capable, swiftly alleviating Xu Bonian's sorrow, replacing Xu Jinsan in his heart...

This past, almost forgotten by the Xu family, has now been unearthed from its dusty grave once again.

And in a shocking manner, cutting open the Xu family's bloody, rotten wound...

"You... What did you say?! Say it again!" Xu Bonian's lips trembled, pointing at Gao Yuan.

Xu Jingsong suddenly snapped back to reality, shouting somewhat hysterically!

"Slander! Ridiculous slander! Dad, can't you see? This venomous woman is trying to drive a wedge between you and me; you absolutely mustn't believe her baseless claims!

I was only thirteen at the time, and my elder brother was very good to me; how could I possibly do such a beastly thing?"

"Hmph! Even your third uncle wasn't off-limits to you, let alone your own brother. What else is beyond you?"

Xu Bolin, just recovering from the shock, instinctively retorted.

Though I too was deeply shocked internally, still in a state of disbelief, it doesn't stop me from kicking someone when they're down, ruthlessly striking a drowning dog!

This comment made Xu Bonian's face turn even paler.

Indeed, Xu Jingsong used to hide it very well, but recently he has continuously revealed his sinister nature that was previously unnoticed...

Is thirteen years old young?

Are there few demons who kill at thirteen in this world?

And now, thinking back, Xu Jingsong was indeed present when the incident happened back then...

Gao Yuan's words undoubtedly touched upon the dark corner that he didn't want to think about, and dared not think about...

"You all..." Xu Jingsong looked at the crowd, especially at Xu Bonian, whose complexion turned dark almost instantly. He felt a chill run through him.

"Dad! I didn't! It wasn't me! Would you rather believe an outsider than believe me?"

Like a trapped beast, Xu Jingsong glared bloodshot at Gao Yuan, wishing he could strangle the woman who had forced him into such dire straits...

"Where's the evidence? Without proof, you want to slander me for killing my big brother?"

"Perhaps the most painful thing for a person is to live in fear, keeping a secret that cannot be disclosed for decades..."

Gao Yuan did not answer Xu Jingsong, only looked at him with a gaze full of pity.

However, everyone present had already imagined what she intended to say.

Who among those present didn't know about the previous relationship between Gao Yuan and Xu Jingsong? It was only normal to speak recklessly when drunk or to talk in dreams...

Gao Yuan clearly answered evasively, yet everyone believed her a little.

Xu Bonian turned even paler, as if his spirit had been directly drained. He suddenly clutched his chest...

"Chairman Xu! Chairman Xu! Quick! Quick! Fast-acting heart-saving pills!"

After a long while, when Xu Bonian regained his composure, he raised his hand to stop his panicked attendants, using his remaining strength to look up at Xu Jingsong's bewildered expression.

In his eyes, there was disappointment, resentment... and eventually, it all turned into a long sigh.

"Ah! Forget it, perhaps it's my Xu family line that hasn't accumulated virtue, leading to such a fate.

I am unwell, today's board meeting... you decide for yourselves!"

After saying this, he was slowly led out of the meeting room by his attendants.

His back hunched, as if he had suddenly aged over ten years...

"Dad! Dad! You can't do this, I didn't... I really didn't!"

Xu Jingsong desperately tried to chase after him, but was blocked by a group of attendants.

Until the meeting room door was shut with a "bang," Xu Jingsong finally slumped into his chair as if all the strength had left him.

Looking up, he saw everyone staring at him with unusual eyes...

"Gao! Yuan!"

He pronounced each word slowly, gritting his teeth, eyes fixed on Gao Yuan.

"Are you pleased? I admit, you won today!

But I want to see, without me, Xu Jingsong, who has the right to sit in the Xu Group CEO position and clean up this mess!"

His venomous gaze swept over Xu Jinbai, Xu Jingfeng, and Xu Bolin...

"And you idiots being toyed with, unaware, I await the day you are played to death step by step, burying Xu Group in this woman's hands!"

However, Gao Yuan simply shook her head.

"No, you're wrong, Xu Group does not matter to me, who the CEO is matters even less."

"Not important? If it's not important, then why force me to this extent!" Xu Jingsong said with a face full of resentment.

"Who the CEO is doesn't matter! But who it isn't does matter to me!"

Xu Jingsong: "..."

...

Outside the Xu Group tower, looking back at the towering skyscraper.

Like this... it's a perfect conclusion to My First Half of Life...

Lin Haitang, looking at Gao Yuan with a complex expression, couldn't hold back the curiosity in her heart, leaning in to ask.

"Did Xu family's eldest really die at Xu Jingsong's hands?"

Gao Yuan, hearing this, didn't say yes or no, instead smiled meaningfully.

"Heh heh! Does it matter?"

"Uh..."

Lin Haitang looked at Gao Yuan's smile, it was all the more like a devil's smile, just short of a tail sprouting behind her...

In handling things, it's just about human hearts, in any matter, it's just about human nature.

This terrifying woman... indeed manipulates people's hearts like toys...

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